At times I feel, what this world would be,
After all dear and close to me would leave,
Leaving behind a trail of images to which I’ll cling
Desperately holding on to them, the only links.
This I write, because in this existence,
Very mercilessly time makes me experience,
This very life of which I am awesomely scared,
As a child would be in an abyss or a timeless lair.
Time very kindly and effectively has ejected me from a place
Which had become very dear to me, for all its grace,
And its all because of one vehicle which time does ride,
Its called ‘passage’, at first site it looks harmless on either side.
Here, I too rode it at times in some wonderful years
Full of joy, laughter, railleries and tears,
Woke up with the rising Sun and danced to sleep with the setting one,
Through the day played with my lanky and piny chums,
Embraced the warmth of the wooden huts when dusk did come,
Waking up to see the glistening Himalayas in the morning Sun.
Never will the winding paths of Ranikhet will be alone for me
Though I may tread on them for the world to see,
For I have come here with so many faces
To be away from the din and the wild chases.
The bells of Jhuladevi and the dark forests of this clime
Are reminescent of all the tenses of time
Which accompanied me with full of love and care
To this serene place which exists for all to share.
A part of this present will become the past,
The rest will be scattered near and far.
The future which rode my shoulders in good humour
May not even remember the place and the shoulder.
But for me, all will come together when next I’ll be at the place,
Perhaps they all will spoil the mirth, which in those moments may lay
Only to try and bring me back to them and the past,
Infinitely far, perhaps non-existing, yet would everlast.
The hills, the trees, the hotels and the meandering ways
Will all be there to add fuel to my maudlin ways.
No Ranikhet, It will now require an effort to visit thee,
Perhaps God will give me courage and not make me so meek…
…. Vishnu, June 1998